Darts in the media

[1205]

Raymond's take on the criticism he has received.

https://www.pdc.tv/news/2019/03/02/defi ... bites-back

Not playing two years ago would be perfect for him, if only he didn't skip almost all the ProTour season last year. Gonna have to do something significant now to get back into the top 32. To be fair to him, he's played most of the events this year so he should be looking pretty battle-hardened by now, but he's just not, he's ready for the knacker's yard

He's not playing _really_ bad darts, but he's not playing the number of events required for the level he's playing. I think he's just hoping he'll have a good day somewhere.

[ssjsa]

LiveDarts interview with Jelle Klaasen.

[Mensur Suljovic Fan]

Raymond's take on the criticism he has received.

https://www.pdc.tv/news/2019/03/02/defi ... bites-back

Not playing two years ago would be perfect for him, if only he didn't skip almost all the ProTour season last year. Gonna have to do something significant now to get back into the top 32. To be fair to him, he's played most of the events this year so he should be looking pretty battle-hardened by now, but he's just not, he's ready for the knacker's yard

He's not playing _really_ bad darts, but he's not playing the number of events required for the level he's playing. I think he's just hoping he'll have a good day somewhere.

I guess, I still think his current ranking even now flatters him a little. To get higher again though he's going to need to play much better on the floor, or as you say, have a good run somewhere, but where will that run come from? Will be a challenge to qualify for the Euros, but he should get to the Players as long as he enters most of the floor events

[ssjsa]

This popped up on one of my YouTube subscription channels.

[trotter01]

Speaking of Harms the County slogger

https://metro.co.uk/2019/02/28/wesley-h ... e-8784840/

Wesley Harms on his remarkable ascent to BDO number one after depression and car crash nightmare

Wesley Harms has had an excellent few weeks on the oche, but it has come after a tough time away from darts.

The BDO number one has recently won the Scottish and Slovak Open, taking him to the top of the world rankings, achievements that seemed a distant dream only a couple of years ago.

The Dutchman was struggling with depression and it took a serious car crash, along with a lot of help from his friends, to get him back on track.

‘The depression came from a bad relationship,’ Harms told Metro.co.uk. ‘She said jump I said how high, I ended up crashing my car into a lorry, I stopped listening to my friends, I did everything for love.

‘She was questioning me taking photos with fans, asking who they were, even if it was an old lady.

I can’t say no to all pictures, because then I’m an arrogant guy. ‘I was just checking my phone all the time. It makes you mad, makes you go crazy. It makes you think, what is love? Is it giving? Is it trusting? It makes you go crazy.

You feel you have to explain yourself when you haven’t done anything wrong. ‘The problem was she wanted me there all the time and to be spending my money. ‘When I went to darts in that relationship, I was thinking, “What is she going to say now? Did I do something wrong?”

‘Just listen to your friends, they see more, they see changes in your life. ‘Before I started darts I was a bit arrogant, a big mouth, I’ve still got a big mouth. I always said I’d make it to Lakeside, my friends said “fek off” and I was there in two years.

‘I was always that arrogant cocky guy, but then it all changed and they noticed. I was quieter, always on my phone. Normally we would go to the pub after darts, but then that stopped, I’d go to the hotel, do nothing and go to sleep.

‘They asked why it stopped, and it’s because of the girlfriend, because she thinks I’m doing other things, so I had to do nothing.’

The turning point came for Harms after a very lucky escape from a car crash in early 2017.

Dealing with the stresses of personal life and trying to keep up his form on the oche were becoming too much for Wesley and the accident proved a wake-up all for him.

‘I was too tired, I was driving on the highway on cruise control driving 130km an hour. There was a lorry with no lights on and I hit him.

‘The car was written off, I came out of it, my muscles hurt the next day but I was lucky, I was happy with that.

‘It was a wake-up call. I was like alright, I need to quit it. I couldn’t live with myself if I carried on, you need to live your own life. Love is nice but you need to do it together.

‘I started listening to my friends and started living my own life. I’ve got a new girlfriend, I’m very, very happy with her. She knew from the start I’m a dart player and I’m away a lot of the time and she knows it.

‘It’s a mental thing, you feel mentally right, it’s a blessing to play darts again.’

‘Sparky’ is well aware that the mental strains of his depression were detrimental to his darts as he tries his best not to overthink the game.

After going a couple of years without working away from the oche, Harms is back working three days a week as an electrician so he can keep his focus away from his arrows for a meaningful period of his time.

‘Most of the time if you’re a thinker or a smart boy you can’t go far in darts, because you need to be stupid. There’s a crowd screaming, if you listen to them, you’re done, you need to be natural, you don’t need to think.

‘Everybody’s overthinking, there’s so much stuff you can buy so everyone’s trying everything and it works for a week. You think “this is alright” and you’re sharp, then it goes worse so you go and buy something else, so it’s a mind-fuck. Stick to what you’ve got and try to work with it.’

‘Now I’m working, it’s a mentality thing, if you start thinking about it, it’s no good for you.’

A number of the top BDO players made the switch to the PDC this year, but despite his impressive form of late, Harms had no interest in joining the exodus.

‘I wasn’t bothered at all about Q School, I like how I’ve got it now,’ said the 34-year-old.

‘We’re all friends we travel together, we do everything together, I like that, I like to be a person, not a number.

‘If you read things about moving over and start thinking about it, it’s nice to try but they’re all coming back depressed. So why try? I’ve already had one depression I don’t need another one.’

As for what is next for the BDO number one, he continues his rebuilding process and knows it is time to move on from winning the opens and start picking up the major titles.

‘After the crash it was a new start, I set steps for myself, try to get in the top 10, then next year top five, small steps, the world was not built in one day, you have to do things slowly.

‘Winning the majors is the next aim,’ Harms continued. ‘It’s all on the day. I feel well, everything is alright so there’s no complaining there.

‘Being number one is already a surprise to me but we’ll see how it goes. I need to win the big titles, I’m done with the semi-finals.’

Who are all these players coming back from the PDC depressed then ?....

[Ginge]

The ones who are out of form and dropping a level, probably.

[ssjsa]

From forum member MDA's You Tube channel.

[ssjsa]

Link to the Taylor vs Bennett match.

[ssjsa]

Amazing darts from Leighton Bennett. He is without doubt the best ever 13 year old in the history of darts.

[Si Robin]

Any idea why his nickname is The King? He'll be the 3rd player with that moniker now.

[ssjsa]

Any idea why his nickname is The King? He'll be the 3rd player with that moniker now.

It isn't. His nickname is the same as ex boxer Ray Mancini- Boom Boom.

Think the king thing was just a gimmick as he was the reigning BDO Youth Champion playing at the Tower of London.

[ssjsa]

Pre match interviews.

[ssjsa]

LiveDarts interview with Rob Cross.

[ssjsa]

THE William Hill World Darts Championship has been nominated for a third consecutive year in the Sports Business Awards.

The prestigious Sports Business Awards celebrate the achievements and hard work of individuals, teams and organisations in the delivery of sporting events and projects, and features a panel of judges from a wide range of sporting backgrounds.

The World Darts Championship was awarded silver in the Sports Event of the Year category in 2017 and also nominated in the Best Match (or Game) Day Experience category.

Last year saw the team behind the event nominated in the Best Operations Team category, and the 2018/2019 staging of the sport's biggest tournament has now been nominated once again for the Best Match (or Game) Day Experience.

"We're rightly proud of the growth of the William Hill World Darts Championship, both in terms of the event itself and also its stature as a major sporting event," said PDC Chief Executive Matthew Porter.

"The World Championship is a huge part of the festive sporting season and the expansion last year to 96 players and 16 days of action was an overwhelming success.

"To receive this nomination in the Sports Business Awards, recognising the World Championship for a third successive year, is a testament to the hundreds of staff whose had work makes the event such a success."

In addition to the PDC's nomination, streaming partners StreamAMG, who host the PDCTV-HD website, have been nominated in the Best Business Servicing Sport category.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in London on Friday May 31. For further information, please visit www.sportsbusinessawards.co.uk.

2019 Sports Business Awards
Best Match (or Game) Day Experience nominations
Cardiff City FC
England Hockey Event’s Team
Lancashire Lightning v Yorkshire Vikings – Vitality Blast
Manchester City Football Club
T v Liverpool – December 2018 – Wolverhampton Wanderers
World Darts Championship – Professional Darts Corporation

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

[Ginge]

This is the award you pay to get nominated in, isnt it?

[ChrisW]

Which match or day had been nominated?

[ssjsa]

LiveDarts interview with Gary Anderson at last week's Cheltenham e exhibition.

[Si Robin]

Came across as a top bloke on Friday night - not as nice as Duzza though who was a properly decent guy and let me hold the World Championship Trophy when we had our photo taken.

MVG also came across really well, and not the arrogant git I always had the impression of from his interviews.

[ssjsa]

Came across as a top bloke on Friday night - not as nice as Duzza though who was a properly decent guy and let me hold the World Championship Trophy when we had our photo taken.

MVG also came across really well, and not the arrogant git I always had the impression of from his interviews.

This event seems to be a very decent exhibition night. Was it last year or the year before that Snakebite won throwing huge averages.

[Si Robin]

Last year I think - this year's was the first I went to though.